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All French heritage classified by regions, departments and cities

  2. Patrimoine
  3. Nouvelle-Aquitaine
  4. Haute-Vienne
  5. 87000 Limoges

  6. Prefecture hotel in Limoges

 Prefecture hotel in Limoges en Haute-Vienne

Patrimoine classé
Patrimoine urbain
Hôtel de préfecture
Haute-Vienne

Prefecture hotel in Limoges

    Rue Daniel-Lamazière
    87000 Limoges
Owned by the Department
Museums of France
All listed city hotels and palaces in France Prefecture Hotel
Photo de Prefecture hotel in Limoges
Crédit photo : Babsy - Sous licence Creative Commons

Timeline

XIXe siècle
Époque contemporaine
1900
2000
1895
Construction decision
1897
Contest won by Godefroy
1903-1904
Construction
1905-1913
Interior decoration
15 janvier 1975
First MH protection
1er février 1989
Protection of trade fairs
26 avril 1999
Protection Chamber
Aujourd'hui
Aujourd'hui

Heritage classified

The facades and roofs (Box DX 1, 4): inscription by decree of 15 January 1975 - Party room, as well as the small living room and its rotunda, and their painted decor; Salon des Maréchaux and its painted decor; window of the Prefect's staircase; Office of the Prefect and his painted decoration (Box DX 1, 4) : inscription by order of 1 February 1989 - General Council Chamber (Case DX 1): registration by order of 26 April 1999

Key figures

Jules Godefroy - Architect Building designer, winner of the contest.
Henri Varenne - Sculptor Author of exterior carved decorations.
Albert Gsell - Glass painter Creator of the staircase window.
Jean Teilliet - Painter Author of a triptych and interior decorations.
Henri Nivet - Landscape Designer of the garden in 1906.
Eugène Alluaud - Painter Contributor to interior decors.

Origin and history

The prefecture hotel of Haute-Vienne, located in Limoges, was built between 1903 and 1904 on the plans of architect Jules Godefroy, winner of a competition launched in 1897. The project, which was decided in 1895, was intended to replace the old stewardship buildings, which were considered obsolete. The neo-classical building consists of five buildings organized in pentagon around a wooded courtyard. The granite facades and limestone carved decorations, made by Henri Varenne, reflect a monumental architecture typical of the period.

The interior decoration, executed between 1905 and 1913, brings together works by iconic artists of the Third Republic, such as Eugène Alluaud, Jean Teilliet, Raphaël Collin, and François Thèvenot. The allegorical paintings (Liberty, Equality, Fraternity) and the representations of the regional trades adorn the salons, while Albert Gsell signs the window of the honorary staircase. The garden, designed in 1906 by landscape architect Henri Nivet, completes this architectural ensemble.

The building was the subject of several protection campaigns for historical monuments: facades and roofs in 1975, lounges and windows in 1989, and the General Council's deliberations room in 1999. Extensions have been added over time, such as the examination wing (1908-1911) or a new southern entrance in 1996, adapting the building to modern administrative requirements.

The architecture combines tradition and modernity, with elements such as the circular pavilion with a ribbed dome, home to the prefect's office, or the later added glass and metal structure. The original stables, replaced by offices between 1932 and 1935, illustrate the functional evolution of the site. Today, the prefecture hotel remains a symbol of the limougeaud administrative and artistic heritage.

External links

Page Wikipedia
Page Monumentum